The 5 best microwaves we tested in 2022

The Panasonic NN-SN65KB Microwave Oven packs 1,200 watts of power to cook food quickly and evenly. It's compact, yet has a spacious interior, and comes with helpful preset buttons for easy cooking.  

Pros: Five useful preset buttons, 1,200 watts of cooking power (more than most microwaves), includes a child-safety lock button

Cons: Fingerprint smudges are visible, the light inside isn't bright enough to check food while it's cooking, it's loud, Frozen Foods feature doesn't cook accurately, doesn't have Express Cook buttons

At 1,200 watts, the Panasonic NN-SN65KB Microwave Oven packs a punch and cooks food fast. The microwave heats remarkably evenly, which we saw during the marshmallow test. The marshmallows all expanded evenly, and at the end of two minutes, there was only a bit of burning in the very center of the marshmallows.

The microwave's power levels start at P10, the highest cooking level, and go down to P0, the Keep Warm level. P10 is the default setting and the one I used regularly for heating and cooking.

If you're using this microwave to simply reheat leftovers, the Sensor Reheat feature works well. Once cooking, it detects the humidity level of the food inside and starts counting down the cooking time. I also tried the more niche preset buttons like Popcorn and Coffee/Milk preset, and both worked better than the presets on other microwaves I tested.

That said, I was less impressed with the Frozen Food preset that categorizes food groups into numbers, much like Sensor Reheat. I used this when making frozen mac and cheese and found that the microwave overestimated the amount of time needed to cook it. 

A few other minor downsides: the light inside the microwave is dim, so it's hard to monitor the food while it's cooking, and fingerprints are highly visible on the control panel. However, this is overall a great microwave that balances power and size with easy-to-use features. 

Read our full review of the Panasonic NN-SN65KB Microwave Oven here.

The Commercial Chef Microwave is bare-bones, but super simple to use. It's moderately powerful, well-priced, and compact enough for small kitchens.  

Pros: Simple to use, compact, quieter than most models, heats evenly

Cons: Doesn't have a clock, can only set cook time by the minute, not very powerful (only 600 watts), too small for large dishes or plates over 10 inches in diameter

Editor's note: Commercial Chef has an updated model of this microwave with digital controls, at a lower price point. We're currently looking into testing it.

At less than 18 inches long and 11 inches deep, The Commercial Chef Microwave is compact and well-sized for small kitchens or dorm rooms. In many ways, it resembles an old-school toaster oven, and even "dings" when cooking is complete. The controls consist of just two rotary knobs — one for power level and one for cook time. Unfortunately, you can't set specific seconds if you're zapping something quick, like warming a piece of bread or melting butter. It also doesn't have any special features or buttons.

That said, if simplicity is what you're after, this model is easy and intuitive to use, and heats relatively evenly. When I did the marshmallow test, I noticed a few browned pieces on the outer edges where the marshmallows expanded more, but overall no major hot or cold spots. 

At just 600 watts, it's a little underpowered. In the absence of any preset buttons, I just used the package instructions to cook frozen mac and cheese. After the four minutes recommended on the package, it was warm throughout but not hot. You'll likely have to add a minute or two to any package instructions when cooking in this microwave. 

If you want a no-frills microwave that reheats and cooks food in a simple, quick manner, this is a great option, especially if you don't have much kitchen space to work with.

If you're looking for a microwave that does it all, the 1,000-watt Toshiba Microwave Oven with Convection, cooks, reheats, bakes, and even roasts food quickly and thoroughly. 

Pros: Quiet, many quick-touch preset cooking buttons, a multi-functional appliance that can bake and roast, includes a child-safety lock

Cons: Heavy and bulky, convection feature heats up kitchen quickly

If you're trying to condense the number of kitchen appliances in your home, then the Toshiba Microwave Oven with Convection is a good multi-functional appliance to have. Not only does it work as a traditional microwave, but it also bakes, roasts, and toasts. It's also the only microwave we tested that has an Express Cook feature, which allow you to quickly start the microwave by just pressing numbers one through six on the number pad.

At 1,000 watts, the Toshiba microwave oven is powerful. I definitely saw the results when I did the marshmallow test: the marshmallows in the center of the tray burned after two minutes, and there was a lot of moisture buildup on the tray underneath the parchment paper. Aside from the burning in the middle, I didn't notice any hot or cold spots. It also cooked frozen mac and cheese thoroughly.

One of the unique features of this microwave is that it also works as a convection oven, so you don't need to buy a separate toaster oven. To test out the convection oven, I warmed up frozen French fries, which typically come out soggy in a regular microwave. The heating options were confusing, so I had to refer to the cooking chart in the manual to see what level to cook the French fries. I was pleasantly surprised to see the fries turned out as crispy as they do in my air fryer (though it took twice as long and the settings were a bit more complicated).

You can also make toast with the convection setting. When I tried this, I found it toasted very unevenly and the results were paler and flabbier than a regular toaster, so I don't recommend this microwave for that use.

Overall, this microwave heated well, the buttons are easy to use and smudge-proof, and the microwave beeps loud and clear. The only major downside is you will need plenty of countertop space to accommodate this large oven, and at nearly 50 pounds, it isn't easy to move.

The Panasonic NN-SD975S Microwave, which can also be installed as a built-in, is large enough to fit two plates at a time and features an easy-to-use dial to heat and cook your food.

Pros: Quiet, powerful 1,250 watts, the dial is easy to use, comes with useful preset buttons, includes a child-safety lock, can be installed as a built-in microwave 

Cons: You can't see the food well while it's cooking, dial only goes up in 10-second increments

The Panasonic NN-SD975S Microwave Oven is large in both size and capacity; with a 16.5-inch turntable, it's ideal if you're cooking for a family.

One dial controls the cooking time and it only adjusts in 10-second increments; a minor inconvenience, but it otherwise operates smoothly and easily. You can also use the dial to input weight for food you're defrosting by turning the dial clockwise until you get to the proper weight. 

At 1,250 watts, it's the most powerful microwave we tested, and it overcooked frozen mac and cheese when I cooked it according to package instructions. You'll likely need to decrease cooking time by a minute or two from any package instructions with this microwave. However, it heated very evenly. When I did the marshmallow test, it produced the best results of any microwave I tried with no hot or cold spots, even in the center. 

Like other microwaves we tried, you can program up to three stages of cooking, and the display screen will let you know where you are in the cooking process. If you're using the multi-stage cooking feature, you can use the Keep Warm setting as your final stage.

While it's a powerful microwave with lots of helpful features, it's extremely large and bulky, so best suited for large kitchens or households with many members who will take advantage of its larger capacity. This microwave can also be built into a cabinet or other static feature in your kitchen, though I left it on my countertop for easier testing.

GE's Smart Microwave Oven is Alexa- and Google Assistant-enabled, so you can cook your food using voice commands or from your smartphone.

Pros: Features smart technology and scan-to-cook technology at a reasonable price, heats food quickly, spacious yet compact enough to fit in a small kitchen

Cons: Doesn't cook food as evenly as other microwaves we tested, doesn't come with a trim kit to mount over the stove or underneath cabinets, the voice commands are finicky.

The GE Smart Microwave Oven looks like any ordinary microwave on the market. It's sleek and relatively compact, but a dinner plate still fits nicely inside. Its defining feature is its smart connectivity.

I cooked marshmallows in the microwave for two minutes on high to see how they heated. I noticed some hot spots, and the outer edges and center cooked more quickly than the rest of the marshmallows. I also microwaved frozen mac and cheese according to the package instructions. At 900 watts, this microwave isn't the most powerful, but it heats up pretty quickly. 

The best part of having a smart microwave is that you can control the settings and check the status of your food from your smartphone or by using voice commands with a virtual assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. I tested the microwave with my Google Home Mini, and I was able to use voice commands to perform basic functions including start/stop, pause/resume, set the microwave for a specific amount of time, add time (but I couldn't subtract), and ask how much time is left (I can also check this from my smartphone).

Frankly, most people don't need a smart microwave. However, the hands-free technology makes cooking easier when you're multitasking, and it's more sanitary since you are reducing how much you touch the microwave. 

It also features a scan-to-cook function where you can scan the barcode on a package of food using your smartphone, and the cook time and settings automatically display. All you have to do is press or say "start." 

Other smart microwaves on the market can be upwards of $300, so for the price and reliability, this is a great microwave. 

Read our full review of the GE Smart Microwave Oven here.

In addition to speaking with Bob Schiffmann, a microwave heating expert and president of the International Microwave Power Institute, and Jared Lodico, a postdoctoral researcher in physics at UCLA, I put all the microwaves through a standard set of tests, evaluating how well they cooked food, how easy they were to use, and any special features or extra buttons. Here's how I tested microwaves: 

Marshmallow test: The first test I performed with every microwave was the marshmallow test, an industry-standard way to check your microwave for hot and cold spots. To conduct this test, I cut parchment paper to the size of each microwave's glass tray and completely covered it with mini marshmallows. I cooked the marshmallows in the microwave for two minutes on high. The marshmallows that expanded first revealed the microwave's hot spots, while marshmallows that still appeared raw showed the cold spots. Cold spots are potentially dangerous because they can mean your food is undercooked and possibly unsafe to eat in those areas. A good microwave produces even cooking across the entire surface — no burnt or uncooked marshmallows.

Frozen meal test: I also cooked frozen mac and cheese in each microwave, using the same brand and cook time. I checked for evenness and burnt or cold spots.

Ease of use: I looked at how easy and intuitive the microwaves were to use, and how much space they occupied on my counter. I also evaluated how much noise they made during cooking and how loud and persistent their alarms and beeps were. 

Presets and additional functions: Where applicable, I used and tested each model's preset buttons according to the manufacturer's instructions. This included Popcorn, Reheat, Sensor Cook, and Keep Warm buttons. I evaluated how well these settings performed their intended function and how easy they were to use.

While microwaves may seem mystifying to some, at their most basic, they're not much different than stoves, ovens, or grills in that they use energy to cook food. "Generally speaking, the process of putting energy into something is pretty much how we heat and cook all food, it just depends on how we do it (such as on the stove, in the sun, or with a microwave)," said Lodico. 

The difference is that microwaves generate energy in the form of electrical and magnetic rays. "Microwaves generate 'microwaves,' which is a form of electromagnetic radiation," Lodico said. "This electric field transfers energy to the food as the waves pass through it." The energy transfer causes water molecules in the food to vibrate, producing heat that cooks the food practically from the inside out. Because of this, foods that are high in water content, like potatoes or other fresh vegetables, cook much faster in the microwave than they do in other appliances, like the stove.

We consulted experts on what to look for when purchasing a microwave. Here are the major qualities you should consider:

Power: The biggest consideration when shopping for a microwave is power. How much power you'll need depends on what you primarily use the microwave for. If your household is only using the microwave to reheat food, then you can look for a cheaper model with less wattage, said Schiffmann. "Around an 800-watt oven works [for reheating], and popular ones are between 800 to 1,000 watts," he said. 

Today, microwaves can do a lot more than just heat up cold food; they can defrost, cook, roast, bake, and more. If you want a microwave that actually cooks your food rather than simply reheating it, expect to spend a little more for a quality oven with more than 1,000 watts of power. 

Presets and additional functions: It's also worthwhile to consider how and when you typically use preset functions. Many consumers are fine primarily operating a microwave with the number pad or Express Cook buttons. However, if you're someone who does a lot of cooking or defrosting, you may find preset functions helpful.

If you're in the market for a microwave that can also replace a toaster oven, opt for a model with convection settings, but keep in mind that this functionality often comes at a higher price and the technology can be hit or miss. 

Price: Schiffmann said you should expect to spend between $100 and $150 on a good 800 to 1,000-watt microwave, and a bit more as wattage increases. You'll also pay more for extra features, like convection settings or lots of presets. While Schiffmann says you don't have to spend a lot to get a quality microwave, he cautions about considering microwaves under $100. "Anything cheaper will most likely break down and be unstable," he said, so you're better off investing in a machine that costs a little more but will last longer. 

Safety features: If you have young children, you will want to purchase a microwave with a child-safety lock feature. "Many toddlers can get injured when reaching in the microwave, but many manufacturers have a digital lock now where you put in a combination of numbers to lock and unlock the microwave," Schiffmann said. Out of the microwaves we tested, all but the Commercial Chef microwave have the ability to lock itself. Note that this feature prevents the microwave oven from operating; it does not lock the microwave door. 

There are three types of microwaves: countertop, over-the-range, and built-in models. We only tested countertop microwaves for this guide. In general, microwave types are not interchangeable; an over-the-range microwave cannot be used on a countertop and vice versa because of their different ventilation systems. However, certain countertop models come with trim kits that allow them to be fitted as built-ins.

Built-in microwaves don't need to be elevated for ventilation, but can be tucked into cabinets or under countertops to save space.

Over-the-range microwaves are built into the wall above a cooktop with open space between the range and the microwave bottom. They offer more counter space, increase airflow, and often include underside lighting to illuminate your cooktop. Most models come with two venting options — you can install a ventilation duct to release air outside or the exhaust fan will clean the air and recirculate it into your kitchen. If your kitchen has poor airflow, the second option can help prevent smoke and cooking odors from filling up the room.

Does standing near a microwave put me at risk for radiation exposure?

According to experts, it is a myth that standing too close to the microwave while it's operating can expose you to radiation. "Microwaves are very safe — as long as they aren't damaged," Lodico said. "The metal housing and mesh screen on the door act as a shield from the radiation that is generated inside. As the radiation approaches the wall of the microwave it induces a current and magnetic field that cancels out the incoming wave."

While there was once some concern about operating a microwave if you have a pacemaker, the FDA says this is no longer an issue with modern pacemakers, though individuals with pacemakers should always check with their doctor first. 

Why are there holes in my microwave door?

According to experts, these small holes are another safeguard against radiation, canceling out incoming electromagnetic waves just like the metal housing in the microwave does. Lodico said holes are only a concern if they're very large, which these intentional holes are not. "In fact, the holes on the door are actually 10 times smaller than what they theoretically need to be. But, it makes sense to make them smaller in case the door is damaged in some way," Lodico said. "Rule of thumb: If there is a hole in your microwave greater than three millimeters in diameter, it's time to get a new microwave."

Should you defrost meat in the microwave?

If you forgot to put the frozen meat for dinner in the refrigerator to thaw out, the defrost feature on a microwave can come to the rescue. Defrosting sets your microwave's power between 30% to 50% so it thaws your food without cooking it.

Although it's recommended to safely thaw meat in the refrigerator, you can use your microwave's defrost button to thaw meat in a pinch as long as you cook it immediately after you thaw it. According to the FDA, microwaves may heat food unevenly which could result in harmful bacteria growth if the food isn't cooked immediately after defrosting.

While we know from the marshmallow test that many microwaves have natural hot and cold spots, defrosting presents an additional challenge for microwaves because the waves don't penetrate or heat frozen foods as effectively as thawed foods. "So there is a dilemma: once the meat starts to defrost somewhere, it will continue heating there. But the frozen parts will heat up more slowly, leading to non-uniform temperatures," said Schiffmann. "I break up the defrosted ground beef with a fork since it has usually softened, then I continue the defrost cycle for another minute or two, breaking up any softened, but completely melted parts."

Schiffmann also said it's important when cooking or defrosting food in the microwave to keep an eye on food temperature. "When cooking your food, measure several places with a food thermometer to avoid undercooking or underheating," he said. According to the FDA, a safe final cooking temperature for poultry and ground beef is around 165 degrees while roasts and steaks are safe around 145 degrees.

What foods should I cook in my microwave oven?

"Microwave ovens are really poachers or steamers, so those foods that fit that profile do well," said Schiffmann. "They're great for cooking fish, vegetables, and chicken, but don't expect dry foods to crisp or brown." Any food with high water content does well in the microwave, like potatoes or fresh vegetables, and you can also use them as a shortcut when making boiled foods. For example, you can put dry pasta in a bowl of water and microwave for the cooking time on the pasta package. The pasta will cook perfectly and you don't even have to wait for the water to boil. 

• The best toaster ovens
• The best juicers
• The best blenders
• The best food processors
• The best espresso machines